For most people, a week-long solo kayak trip from Columbia to Charleston that includes violent storms, high water, and other extreme conditions would be considered something of which nightmares are made. For the 22 combat veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who completed the journey on April 19, it was a healing process that alleviated their nightmares. They were part […]
Congratulations to Mayor Steve Benjamin, next president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin will be inaugurated as President of the US Conference of Mayors at 6 p.m. on May 7 at the Columbia Convention Center. “I am honored and grateful to lead America’s mayors as I assume the presidency of the US Conference of Mayors,” said Mayor Benjamin. “I look forward to an incredible year of implementing bipartisan solutions […]
Tenth year for “Fill the Red Truck” in Shandon
The Shandon Neighborhood will host “Fill the Red Truck” to benefit the Columbia City Animal Shelter and The Animal Mission Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19. This event, now in its tenth year, helps with caring for four- footed friends who have become separated from loving homes. More than just a pet food drive, the event has become a […]
Wish You Were Here: Tourist Homes in the 20th Century
In November 1943, local real estate developer and lawyer Thomas Hair bought the former Hampton Preston estate, which had been placed to many uses since Chicora College left Columbia nearly 15 years earlier. Banking on the property’s widely known association with members of Columbia’s and South Carolina’s most elite families, Hair repurposed the former antebellum destination as a tourist home […]
Quirky Crimes in the Capital City
West Columbia Alexandria Street: A man was arrested at 2 a.m. Friday after an officer on patrol saw him toss a lit cigarette out his car window. The officer initiated at traffic stop and approached the driver of the vehicle and noticed there were several obviously inebriated passengers in the car. The officer told the driver he had seen the […]
An unexpected end for a serial killer
The Millwood and Taylor location of Church’s Chicken, the darling of Lipitor manufacturers worldwide as well as dedicated customers across Columbia and the Midlands, died unexpectedly on February 18, 2018. It left behind two survivors, both Rivers Drive locations. Former customers are mourning the loss of the eatery, including 35 of whom are patients on the cardiac ICU floor at […]
Jim Jaco, an Olympia champion
I first met Mr. Jim Jaco in 2009 when I began covering community meetings for The Columbia Star newspaper. It didn’t take me long to learn why he was called “Mr. Olympia.” He was a perfect example of what is great about Olympia. He was hardworking, and he cared so deeply for his community. It showed in the stories that […]
Spring pet allergies
ASK US AT THE STARCan you tell me more about spring pet allergies? “Pet allergies are nothing to sneeze at!” The 2018 spring pollen season started early this year, and the four-legged members of the family started feeling the effects just like their owners did. Yet, unlike humans whose allergies cause them to sniff and sneeze, spring allergies in cats and dogs manifest themselves […]
Getting in shape is tough
It’s not a criticism; It’s an observationI spent a rainy 68th birthday visiting my urologist. A bad PSA during my annual physical was responsible for this visit; a crowded calendar caused the date to coincide with the celebration of my birth. But as it turned out, there was a present of sorts. My urologist was unconcerned about the high PSA count; having run tests last fall. […]